88. Rallye Automobile de Monte-Carlo 2020

**spyros** · 23rd January 2020, 06:24

I think Neuville will go for it this time and if he is mentanly strong then its all open this year.

**spyros** · 23rd January 2020, 06:36

I think Neuville will go for it this time and if he is mentanly strong then its all open this year.

**Katvala** · 23rd January 2020, 07:03

Originally Posted by steve.mandzij

I thought I was being creative with Ostberg 8th in my pickems but Vaggelis27 had the exact same idea as me!

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I did that as well

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**AnttiL** · 23rd January 2020, 07:05

Originally Posted by EstWRC

so the rally starts today

what are everyones expectations?

For me Ogier is the favourite like always at Monte, no matter what the car is. As basically he is local, he knows how to read the conditions and weather etc. He showed with the Fiesta and C3 that even with little testing time he is still unbeatable.

Neuville for second i think or maybe also for the win. Last year he narrowly missed out and its all familiar for him regarding car and team wise, he should feel the most comfortable and confident.

Tänak for third. He has a good record here the last 3 years, two 3rd places and one 2nd place, it isn't his strongest rally i would say. The question is how fast he has adapted to the car. Same for Ogier thou

dunno about the rest, Evans for 4th i think or maybe Loeb? Maybe Lappi will surprise?

Well, you just read through my top six prediction...I think it's a battle between Ogier and Neuville. Ogier has a good car but he has to adapt to it, but we've seen in the past he can do that quick, and Toyota has been easy to adapt (Tänak, Meeke). Meanwhile, I would still give some time for Tänak to settle in with the more difficult Hyundai. And the shakedown seems to hint that Loeb hasn't gotten any faster with the Hyundai.

**AnttiL** · 23rd January 2020, 07:06

Originally Posted by Sal the 2nd

Plenty of us picked Mads in 8th. Bit of a no brainer with so few WRC cars.

Quite many times last year I picked an R5 car on 8th place. This time, I put one also on 7th place.

**mknight** · 23rd January 2020, 07:43

@ Hyundai exhaust
Think it's pretty weird. Why do all 6+ days of testing with new exhaust and then use old? If they knew they wouldn't use it on Monte they should have run some days with old one?
Then it's the fact that they use new diffuser in combination with old exhaust which is a combination that wasn't on any test at all as far as I know.

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Originally Posted by AnttiL

Well, you just read through my top six prediction...I think it's a battle between Ogier and Neuville. Ogier has a good car but he has to adapt to it, but we've seen in the past he can do that quick, and Toyota has been easy to adapt (Tänak, Meeke). Meanwhile, I would still give some time for Tänak to settle in with the more difficult Hyundai. And the shakedown seems to hint that Loeb hasn't gotten any faster with the Hyundai.

If it's mostly dry and easy tire choices I think Evans can get 4th or maybe even 3rd if Tanak struggles more. If there are lots of tricky tire choices Loeb should be 4th instead, on the other than if it's very dry it's possible Loeb ends behind the two Fords around 6-7th place.

Pretty sad to see Loeb after 1 year and 6 tarmac rallies in the car, with 3 extra testing rallies included and he is still basically slowest WRC (apart from Katsuta). Seems that the car as it is just can't be adapted to some drivers on dry tarmac without some big changes... and those won't come as long as at least 2 drivers can drive it fast.

**kornes** · 23rd January 2020, 07:56

Are there any posibiliti to snow in these days?

**Rallyper** · 23rd January 2020, 09:03

Originally Posted by AnttiL

People would start complaining "why are they showing the empty stage" when cars are either returning to the start, changing their tyres, setup or even going back to the service.

Only last year the shakedown running order was set to have a schedule for the first run. After that it's free. It would most likely be a waste of resources to stream more of the shakedown.

Sorry. But no.
People want to see SD are not complaining. They know.

**AnttiL** · 23rd January 2020, 09:18

Originally Posted by Rallyper

Sorry. But no.
People want to see SD are not complaining. They know.

Well, only two years ago we didn't see anything of the shakedown. Now we get a great coverage of the first run, and people are still complaining...

**Rallyper** · 23rd January 2020, 09:26

Originally Posted by AnttiL

Well, only two years ago we didn't see anything of the shakedown. Now we get a great coverage of the first run, and people are still complaining...

If they manage to show SD, why not do it more properly while being there with all resourses?

I wouldn´t mind waiting. Not spectators at sight either.

Have you been on a shakedown yourself? Those who had know what to expect.